







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| They are both okay for me. | |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | |
| There is a little market near the school. | |
| I see, I love cooking! | |
| He is a Chow Chow. | |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
| What line is it on? | |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| You are very funny mate. | |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | |
| Why do you think it's weird? | |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | |